Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-03-03

M. Speaker: Your special committee APP
pointed to investigate Charges respecting
changes or attempted changes, of positions of
bills on the file of the Assembly and also
charges against members of the Assembly as
directed by resolutions passed by the House,
copies OF which r solutions are as follows:
change the place of bills upon the files of the
Assembly; therefore
Resoired, That a committee of five be ap,,
pointed by the Speaker to investigate the said
Charges, and report their investigations to the
House at their earliest convenience.
Resolred, that the committee appointed to
inquire into the charges OF changing bills on
the file be and they are further directed and EN-
powered to inquire into all charges made
directly or Indirectly against members of this
/ House, and to all facts pertaining TO the chang
ing of bills on the file ard they are further d.
rected 10 report thereon"
Have made careful investigation of the mat
tiers referred to in the resolutions, examining
all witnesses fully whom we had reason TO be-
| lieye could throw any light on the matters re-
| ferred to US:
/. There is no evidence before the committee
| to show that any member of the Assembly has
| been guilty of attempting Improperly to have
the position of any bill changed on the file, nor
to show that the position OF any bill has been so
| changed. and all members OF the Assembly
should be exonerated from any such charge.
.. We are satisfied from the evidence before
| the committee that attempts have been made
| TO tamper with the files while they were in
course of preparation.
| 3, III appears from the eNfuepct llltL OH one
| occasion while the file for the succeeding day
| was in course of preparation, some person mis-
| placed several leaves i'll such mannerthat had
It not been discovered before the file was printed
| great number of bills would have been thrown
out of their proper places on the file but we
| were not able TO obtain any evidence to show
| who the guilty party is.
| A. We are satisfied from the evidence that Ray
| Fak, one of the assistant clerks, willfully and
wrongfully attempted to change the position of
| Assembly bill No lI9 on the file while file was
in progress of preparation on the Sth day of Feb
| ruary. This we think is fully established by the
testimony of Assistant Clerks Smith and Bran
don. of Chief Clerk Ryan and of Mr.. Falk. In
deed we think that the conclusion is irresistible
from the testimony of Mr.. Falk himself
s. We think from the evidence that all the
clerks, except Mr.. Falk, should be eXonerated
from any charge or suspicion of improperly
changing or attempting to change, or to have
changed, the position of any bill on the file.
g. There is no evidence before the committee
inculpating any attache of the Assembly, or any
committee clerk, except Ray Falk.
7. We thihk that Allen Henry should be ex-
onerated from any charge of improper conduct
with regard to Assembly Bill No 10
S. We believe from the evidence that L. +.
Buckley attempted TO influence assistant Clerk
Smith TO advance improperly bill No. 295 on the
file but there is evidence that the bill was so
advanced.
g. The committee believes from the evidence
that Senator Motfitt attempted to influence as
sistant Clerk Smith TO displace Assembly Bill
No. l6 from its proper place on the Assembly
file, and to put il down TO lower place than 1t
was entitled to, but that such change was not
made.
10. The committee think from the evidence
that all persons who have been in any manner
implicated by any testimony taken before them,
except as hereinbefore stated, should be fully
eXonerated.
The committee submit herewith duplicate
copies of the testimony taken before them The
committee also recommend the adoption by the
Assembly of the following resolution:
Resolred. That Ray Falk be and he is hereby
dismissed from his position as assistant clerk.
RUSSELL HEATH,
L. L. EWING,
JOHN ELLSWORTH,
W. ID. MORRIS
JOHN DAVIS.